FACULTY SENATE MEETING

Minutes

July 10, 2006

3:15 p.m., 601 Rudder Tower

http://facultysenate.tamu.edu

 

Present:          Arant-Kaspar, Armstrong, Aufderheide, Battle, Benedik, Buffa, Busch, Cagin, Carhart, Carlson, Cobb, Fackler, Feldman, Fike, Heilman, Hise, Hobbs, Hobson, Kelly, Lard, Linton, Loudder, Magill, Martindale, McGeachin, Murphy, Price, Riccio, Ruoff, Slack, Stadelmann, Straube, Thomas, Vedlitz, Vogel, Walker, Welsh, Woodman, Woosley

 

                            Watson

 

Not Present:   Anthony, Beskok, Blasingame, Boyd, Centikaya, Collisson, Curry, Dorsey, Ellis, Grant, Hall, Han, Harms, Harris, Ing, Kirkendall, Klein, Lusielli, Machann, McIntyre, Meagher, North, Petersen, Reddy, Sharkawy, J. Smith, R. Smith, Stallone, Swearingen, Toby, Vaid, Valasek, Whiteacre, Zellner

 

Inactive:           Bassichis, Bendarz, Cagin, Carrigan, Fackler, Fink, Gawande, Geva, Gunn, Hyman, La-Pastina, McCann, Messina, Moreira, Pearl, Portales, Rich, Schultz, Ward, Woosley

 

Call to Order

 

Speaker Slack welcomed the visitors to the Faculty Senate meeting.

 

The second meeting of the 24th Session of the Faculty Senate of Texas A&M University was called to order.

 

Speaker Comments

Speaker Slack announced the plans for the Faculty Senate Retreat to be held on 24 August at 8:15 at Christopher’s World Grille, and handouts were provided.

 

Approval of June 12, 2006 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes       Attachment A

                                                             Motion Passed with changes incorporated F.S. 24.05

 

Consent Agenda

 

University Curriculum Committee (Recommended Approval)

 

                                                                                        Motion Passed F.S. 24.06          

                  New Courses                                                                           Attachment B

                   FRSC 102 Introduction to Spatial Science           

                   MATH 469 Introduction to Mathematical Biology         

          Course Changes                                                                        

                   OCNG 205 Introduction to Ocean Studies

                   OCNG 401 Introduction to Oceanography

                   OCNG 430 Introduction to Ocean Studies

         

          New Course at Galveston                                                          Attachment C

                   MASE 212 Engineering Science in Thermodynamics             

                   MASE 344 Reinforced Concrete Structures

 

          Course Changes at Galveston                                                 

                   CVEN 346 Structural Steel Design

                   MASE 301 Dynamics of Waves and Structures

 

Committee Reports

Executive Committee (Recommended Approval)

 

                                                                                       Motion Passed F.S. 24.07

   W Courses                                                                                      Attachment D

                                                                                                                        D Backup

AGEC 429     Agricultural and Food Policy

                        ENGL 355      Rhetoric of Style

 

                                                                                   Motion Passed F.S. 24.08

Rules and Regulations Committee (Recommended Approval)      Attachment E

                                                                                                                E Backup

                                                                                           

                Appendix VIII Texas A&M Alcohol Rules and Laws … Section III

                Student Rule 41- Student Organizations, Section 41.2.2.1

 

                                                                                   Motion Passed F.S. 24.09

University Curriculum Committee (Recommended Approval)         Attachment F

                                                                                                   

                        Special Consideration                                                        

                            Dwight Look College of Engineering

                                    Certificate in Polymer Specialty

                                                New Courses:

AERO 406 Polymer Nanocomposites and their Applications

                                                   BMEN 482 Polymeric Biomaterials

                                                   MEEN 451 Viscoelastic Materials

 

                                                                                          Motion Passed F.S. 24.10

               Texas A&M University at Galveston                              Attachment G

                            Change in Curriculum                                 

                                 Department of Marine Science

                                    BS in Marine Science

                                 New Courses

                                    MARE 242

                                    MARE 243

                                    MARE 261

                                    MARE 313

                                    MARE 441

                                    MARE 451

                 

Old Business

 

New Business

 

Comments from the Dean of Faculties: Karan Watson reported that a candidate for the vacant position of Vice President for Diversity has been identified and the nomination awaits approval by the Board of Regents.

 

Committee of the Whole

 

Former Speaker John Fike reported that the next-generation Electronic Information System being purchased to replace SIMS is supposed to be capable of handling +/- grades should the Faculty Senate decide to implement such a system in the future.

Senator Tom Vogel reported that a subcommittee of the Academic Affairs Committee is making progress toward a proposal for a University Studies degree.  Institution of the University Studies degree is one part of a plan to alleviate the "access to majors problem" (students who meet University standards for graduation but with  GPAs lower than are required for some majors).  Current thoughts are that in addition to core curriculum requirements, the degree will require an "area of concentration" (21-24 credits) and two standard minors with at least one in a college other than the area of concentration.  Student advising would be provided in the department or college of the area of concentration and oversight of the whole program would be provided by the Department of General Academic Studies.  It is anticipated that most Freshmen interested in a University Studies type program will still first enroll in General Studies and then transfer once areas of concentration and appropriate minors are identified.  Departments or curricula interested in the degree will identify courses suited for areas of concentration and minors as is currently done; the only stipulation will be that anyone with a 2.0 GPA and appropriate required courses must be admitted to the program. 

 

Adjourn

 

The meeting was adjourned at 3:55 p.m.